Danilo travelled to Amsterdam to meet ankle specialist doctor Nien van Dijk

According to Marca, Danilo travelled to Amsterdam this Monday to meet ankle specialist Nien Van Dijk. Apparently an ankle problem prevented Danilo for being in contention for the starting line-up against Granada, giving Carvajal the automatic nod. But more frustratingly for Madrid fans it seems that Danilo has been putting up with this pain for weeks, forcing the club to ration his game-time in an effort to alleviate the pain.

While Danilo reportedly did this out of a commitment to be present for his club at all times and because he believed the injury would resolve itself, the lack of authority for medical staff (in general) to determine the injury status over a player is concerning. Time and time again the ability of players to judge the extent and severity of their own injuries are questionable at best, mainly due to the fact that they want to play as many games as possible. While this can lead to more serious injuries and prolonged periods on the physio's table, it seems as if Danilo's mistake in judgement is not grave.

According to Marca, Van Dijk's assessment is that Danilo has a mere ankle strain, which should heal itself in around two weeks.